President Donald Trump announces a new battleship fleet while clamping down on Venezuelan oil, a tangled web of schemes reveals even more fraud in Minnesota, and ballot-counting errors surface in a state that Joe Biden won by fewer than 12,000 votes. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.
It’s Tuesday, December 23, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below or on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251223-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Daily Wire</a>:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump’s Show Of Force In Caribbean</h2>
Amid a massive naval buildup in the Caribbean, President Trump announced new efforts to crack down on Venezuela’s socialist regime. The Coast Guard and Navy have seized two “dark fleet” tankers used by Venezuela to ship its oil under other countries’ flags. The additional pressure targets Venezuela’s primary source of funding–the sale of its oil internationally. More broadly, the True administration says the crackdown is intended to send a <a href="https://x.com/RichSementa/status/2003125034982731821?s=20">message</a> to the rest of the world, not just Venezuela, that the illegal activity such as that participated in by Maduro against the United States will not be tolerated.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">‘Industrial-Scale Fraud’ In Minnesota</h2>
Stunning new details have surfaced in Minnesota’s sprawling fraud scandal, which is largely tied to the state’s Somali community. Federal prosecutor Joseph Thompson revealed in a shocking press conference that at least $9 billion of taxpayer money could have been stolen in an “industrial-scale fraud” operation. There were 14 taxpayer-funded programs in particular that have been rife with fraud since 2018. Those programs cost $18 billion dollars, and Thompson said it’s possible that half of that, or more, could have been fraudulently claimed. Fraud has been particularly bad in Minnesota, despite some politicians in the state trying to downplay the scandal. 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Fulton County Admits It Broke Election Rules In 2020</h2>
Election officials in Georgia say that Fulton County violated state election rules when it certified some 315,000 ballots in the 2020 election. The issue came over tabulation tapes and &#8220;zero&#8221; tapes. State election rules say these tapes have to be signed by election workers to certify their authenticity, but for most of the polls across Fulton County, the tapes weren’t signed. Those tapes account for essentially every early in-person vote cast in Fulton County in 2020–about 315,000 in total. County officials essentially admitted to the mistake in a December 9 Georgia State Election Board meeting, <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2025/12/17/fulton-county-we-dont-dispute-315000-votes-lacking-poll-workers-signatures-were-counted-in-2020/">the Federalist reported</a>.

MRN_251223_V1

Morning Brief: Trump Squeezes Venezuela, Even More Minnesota Fraud, And Fulton County’s 2020 Problem

2020 Election

Donald Trump

Georgia

Minnesota

Morning Wire

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

The prosecution dropped the Georgia 2020 election interference case against President Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying it was no longer realistic to continue pursuing it.
In a filing in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, Prosecuting Attorneys&#8217; Council Director Peter Skandalakis said that he was dropping the case against Trump and his co-defendants “to serve the interests of justice and promote judicial finality.”
The filing brings an end to a lengthy legal saga that included Trump’s iconic mugshot from the Fulton County Jail to the removal of District Attorney Fani Willis from the case over allegations that she improperly appointed her ex-boyfriend as a special prosecutor to investigate it. Skandalakis took over the prosecution after Willis was disqualified, and the state Supreme Court blocked her appeal to have the case returned. 
The presiding judge approved the motion.
&#8220;The case is hereby dismissed in its entirety,&#8221; Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote.
Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social, saying it was the end of another &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; against him. 
&#8220;LAW and JUSTICE have prevailed in the Great State of Georgia, as the corrupt Fani Willis Witch Hunt against me, and other Great American Patriots, has been DISMISSED in its entirety. This Illegal, Unconstitutional, and unAmerican Hoax was perpetrated against our Nation by Fani and her Low I.Q. Lover, Nathan Wade, at the direction of Crooked Joe Biden and his &#8216;Handlers,'&#8221; he wrote.
In a briefing attached to the motion to dismiss, Skandalakis explained in detail his decision to drop the charges. 
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“As a former elected official who ran as both a Democrat and a Republican and now is the Executive Director of a non-partisan agency, this decision is not guided by a desire to advance an agenda but is based on my beliefs and understanding of the law,” he said. “I begin the process of evaluating this case with a basic truth: It is not illegal to question or challenge election results. Our nation’s foundational principles of free speech and electoral scrutiny are rooted in this very freedom.&#8221;
Skandalakis said he believed the case would be better suited for federal court than for state court. 
“There is no realistic prospect that a sitting President will be compelled to appear in Georgia to stand trial on the allegations in this indictment. Donald J. Trump’s current term as President of the United States of America does not expire until January 20, 2029; by that point, eight years will have elapsed since the phone call at issue,” he wrote. 
He also said that it would be “illogical and unduly burdensome and costly” for Fulton County to try to prosecute Trump’s co-defendants without Trump as well. This includes figures such as Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark.

US-POLITICS-HOLIDAY-THANKSGIVING-TURKEY-TRUMP

CASE DISMISSED: Georgia Prosecutor Who Took Over Fani Willis Case Drops Charges Against Trump

Courts

Executive

Fani Willis

Politics

WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene caused a stir on Saturday when she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-to-resign-from-congress?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Marjorie+Taylor+Greene+To+Resign+From+Congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> her plans to resign effective January 5. Now, with Republicans struggling to hold on to a barely-there majority, the question is: what will happen to her seat?
A special is slated to happen sometime in February or March. And with just 219 seats, Republicans can&#8217;t afford to lose it. There are <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_current_members_of_the_U.S._Congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently</a> three vacancies in the House: two seats left open by Democrats, one by a Republican, and Greene will with be the fourth when she resigns. The seven-seat margin means Republicans can afford no more than three defections on measures they want to pass without Democrats.
Greene, who rose to prominence as one of President Donald Trump&#8217;s most vocal allies, announced her resignation amid a very public fallout with the president over his resistance to releasing information related to the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In a video <a href="https://x.com/mtgreenee/status/1992035608387039359?s=20">announcement</a> posted on Nov. 21, Greene outlined the reasoning behind her decision and addressed her decision to support releasing the Epstein files.
“Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men, should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” Greene said.
Greene also pointed to other frustrations, saying she believes Americans are being “used” by the &#8220;political industrial complex&#8221; on both sides to “elect whichever side can convince Americans to hate the other side more.”
This week, Greene confirmed she is <a href="https://x.com/mtgreenee/status/1992586669204070761?s=20">not</a> running for president, or <a href="https://x.com/mtgreenee/status/1993127035498045564?s=20">joining</a> &#8220;The View,&#8221; as many people online have speculated in recent days since her announcement.
Paulding County Republican Party Executive Committee Chairman Richard J. Hess told The Daily Wire there will be a special election to fill Greene’s unexpired term for 2025.
The timeline, however, is a little tricky.
Hess said the special election to replace the conservative firebrand will likely fall “somewhere between mid-February and March, but ultimately that decision is up to the governor.” Once Greene resigns, the governor will have 10 days to issue the call for a special election, formally known as a “a writ of election,” according to the Secretary of State’s office<a href="https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/2024-02/Qualifications_and_Disqualifications_through%20current%20-%20CandHandbk2024_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> website</a>.
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A spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told The Daily Wire that once this happens, a special election must be at least 29 days from the call being issued. Hess said their hope is that the special election “doesn’t interfere with the primary or the qualification period, because we’re looking at very tight timelines.”
Hess explained that there will be a special election and “potentially” a runoff election, followed by the regular primary cycle for the seat. Greene’s seat is up for election in November 2026, meaning the winner of this special election would have to run again if they want to retain the seat.
The general primary for the 2026 election is scheduled for May 19 with a potential runoff June 16, according to the Federal Election Commission’s <a href="https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/2026pdates.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. Georgia is one of the seven states that requires a runoff election if none of the candidates receive a majority of the vote (50%+1), according to the <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/primary-runoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Conference of State Legislatures.</a>
This means the process could take longer if a runoff election is required, depending on how many candidates enter the race and the election results.
“It’s going to be a very hectic, fast-paced period, and we’re just hoping the transition moves as smoothly as possible,” Hess said.
Georgia’s 14th Congressional District is a solidly Republican district in the state’s northwest corner. In the 2024 race, Greene <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Georgia%27s_14th_Congressional_District" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> secured around 64% of the vote, compared to 35% for her Democratic challenger, Shawn Harris.

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Resigning. Here’s What Happens Now.

House of Representatives

Jeffrey Epstein

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) will resign from Congress after a public falling out with President Donald Trump, despite once being close allies.
“I’ve been blessed to represent the 14th District of Georgia for five years. That district is filled with some of the most wonderful, kind-hearted, God fearing, patriotic, hardworking people you will ever meet. Good, regular, common Americans,” the congresswoman, who recently made a hotly-debated appearance on “The View,” stated in a video posted to X on Friday night.
“Loyalty should be a two-way street,” she added.
“Because my self worth is not defined by a man, but instead by God, who created everything in existence,” she continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My official statement. <a href="https://t.co/x48zEugmPV">pic.twitter.com/x48zEugmPV</a>
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1992037226415554642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Greene will officially step down on January 5. She was first elected during the 2020 election and was one of the most vocal opponents of then-President Joe Biden and supporters of Trump. In recent weeks, Greene grew critical of the president and congressional leadership on numerous issues, including the Epstein files and how to best handle Obamacare, including during the government shutdown.
“I am withdrawing my support and Endorsement of &#8216;Congresswoman&#8217; Marjorie Taylor Greene, of the Great State of Georgia,” Trump said in a November 14 Truth Social post, adding that “all [he sees] ‘Wacky’ Marjorie do is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!”
Trump said Greene&#8217;s heel-turn started when he showed her a poll in which it appeared she didn&#8217;t have a shot at winning a gubernatorial or Senate race in Georgia.
“She has told many people that she is upset that I don’t return her phone calls anymore, but with 219 Congressmen/women, 53 U.S. Senators, 24 Cabinet Members, almost 200 Countries, and an otherwise normal life to lead, I can’t take a ranting Lunatic’s call every day. I understand that wonderful, Conservative people are thinking about primarying Marjorie in her District of Georgia, that they too are fed up with her and her antics and, if the right person runs, they will have my Complete and Unyielding Support,” he added at the time.
The decision from the congresswoman will trigger a special election, which Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) will choose a date for. The race will include also include both primaries and a general election in the deep red district, and those elections might happen ahead of the standard 2026 primaries in May, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/marjorie-taylor-green-congress-resigns-trump-maga-5f42d4893343babc8e87da1491a0de2b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>.
This is a developing story. Come back for updates.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

Marjorie Taylor Greene To Resign From Congress

Congress

Over the weekend, the long-simmering feud between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and the president of the United States finally boiled over.
Greene — the Jewish space laser lady — has been attempting to run her own knockoff version of MAGA. She&#8217;s been out retailing it to &#8220;The View.&#8221; She&#8217;s been out retailing it to CNN and MSNBC.
She&#8217;s become the hot new thing in the legacy media. They now have “strange new respect” for Marjorie Taylor Greene because she has decided that she is going to attack Trump full-time.
President Trump put out a statement on Saturday slamming Greene for trying to undermine his administration. He wrote on Truth Social: 
<blockquote>Lightweight Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Brown (Green grass turns Brown when it begins to ROT!), betrayed the entire Republican Party when she turned Left, performed poorly on the pathetic View, and became the RINO that we all know she always was.</blockquote>
That followed Greene’s repeated attacks on President Trump, particularly over Jeffrey Epstein. 
On Friday, Greene <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-blasts-government-over-epstein-working-harder-to-protect-pedophiles-than-victims/">suggested</a> on CBS that the president of the United States was attempting to protect pedophiles, saying: 
<blockquote>The American people deserve to see transparency from their government. The Rich, powerful people should not be protected. That is completely wrong. And it&#8217;s a message to victims everywhere. Victims of rape, human trafficking, and children who are trapped in terrible situations that the government will not protect the predators, that we will work hard to protect the victims.</blockquote>
It is ridiculous to suggest the president of the United States is trying to protect predators. This line has been retailed by a wide variety of people who are supposedly allies of President Trump who have turned on him, using the Epstein files as a way of getting at him.
Thus, the president withdrew his support for Marjorie Taylor Greene and suggested that he might back her opponent in the primary.
Greene wouldn’t be known if it had not been for the president of the United States touting her, treating her as an ally and building her up. She got very angry because she wanted to run for Senate in Georgia and he pointed out to her she was going to lose by 20 points to Jon Ossoff if she ran for Senate in Georgia.
This ticked her off. So President Trump finally lost it on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115551127714537339">Truth Social</a>, writing: 
<blockquote>I am withdrawing my support and Endorsement of “Congresswoman” Marjorie Taylor Greene, of the Great State of Georgia. &#8230; all I see ‘Wacky’ Marjorie do is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN! It seemed to all begin when I sent her a Poll stating that she should not run for Senator, or Governor, she was at 12%, and didn’t have a chance (unless, of course, she had my Endorsement — which she wasn’t about to get!). She has told many people that she is upset that I don’t return her phone calls anymore, but with 219 Congressmen/women, 53 U.S. Senators, 24 Cabinet Members, almost 200 Countries, and an otherwise normal life to lead, I can’t take a ranting Lunatic’s call every day.
I understand that wonderful, Conservative people are thinking about primarying Marjorie in her District of Georgia, that they too are fed up with her and her antics and, if the right person runs, they will have my Complete and Unyielding Support,” he continued. “She has gone Far Left, even doing The View, with their Low IQ Republican hating Anchors.</blockquote>
Greene was excited about this because she&#8217;s attempting again to run an anti-Trump campaign inside the Republican Party.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2319-mtg-revolts-against-trump-maga?elementPosition=4&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
She <a href="https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1989518703507963940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1989518703507963940%7Ctwgr%5E03448d1ad5006003a5ba80f2ee8c4fbcf3b68dd7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Fmtg-shares-messy-breakup-texts-with-trump-over-epstein%2F">responded</a> by saying, “President Trump just attacked me and lied about me.&#8221;
Always playing the victim.
<blockquote>I haven&#8217;t called him at all, but I did send these text messages today,” she stated. “Apparently, this is what sent him over the edge. The Epstein files. And of course, he&#8217;s coming hard after me to make an example to scare all the other Republicans before next week&#8217;s vote to release the Epstein files. It&#8217;s astonishing, really, how hard he&#8217;s fighting to stop the Epstein files from coming out that he actually goes to this level. But really, most Americans wish you would fight this hard to help the forgotten men and women of America who are fed up with foreign wars and foreign causes, are going broke trying to feed their families, and are losing hope of ever achieving the American dream.</blockquote>
What she is saying, that the president is trying to cover up the Epstein files, is not true. The president made absolutely clear on Sunday that that was not the case. He put out a post on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115562626931599548">Truth Social</a> that read:
<blockquote>As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat “Shutdown.” The Department of Justice has already turned over tens of thousands of pages to the Public on ‘Epstein,’ are looking at various Democrat operatives (Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Larry Summers, etc.) and their relationship to Epstein, and the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to, I DON’T CARE!</blockquote>
Over the weekend, talking with CNN&#8217;s Dana Bash, Greene slammed President Trump for calling her a traitor, even though she has spent the last several months beating up on President Trump over and over and over.
“The most hurtful thing he said, which is absolutely untrue, is he called me a traitor,” she said. “And that is so extremely wrong. And those are the types of words used that can radicalize people against me and put my life in danger.”
The new line that&#8217;s being retailed by people like Marjorie Taylor Greene is that criticism of her puts her life in danger.
Greene&#8217;s idea is that President Trump has not only betrayed MAGA because of Epstein, but also has betrayed MAGA — because she has a different definition of MAGA.
And this brings us to what&#8217;s really going on under the surface: Marjorie Taylor Greene started caring about the Epstein files in a serious way with regard to President Trump about the same time she got angry at the president&#8217;s foreign policy with regard to the Middle East.
She, Thomas Massie, and a wide variety of commentators seemed to get very exercised about President Trump and the Epstein files by claiming that President Trump is in thrall to Israel, and that the Epstein files is somehow indicate some sort of Mossad agency operation.
What made them mad is that President Trump is not anti-Israel in the same way they are.
I&#8217;m in favor of all Jeffrey Epstein files being released. I believe the president didn&#8217;t want all of them released because he was tired of talking about it, and because his own FBI had told him there was nothing there.
But the evidence-free nature of this supposed conspiracy is the reason it&#8217;s being trafficked by people like Marjorie Taylor Greene. She thinks President Trump is somehow controlled by the Israelis.
The Israeli government would likely have been on board with the idea of toppling the Iranian regime. The president, however, was not, and that was that. The people making arguments like Greene’s are the same people who suggested that bombing the Fordow nuclear reactor was somehow going to lead to World War III and full-scale American involvement in Middle East warfare.
Which, of course, never happened.
This is the reason why they&#8217;re focused on Epstein. Let&#8217;s be clear about this — it is not because of Epstein. The Epstein files have been out there. None of these people were screaming bloody murder about the Epstein files when Joe Biden was president of the United States.
President Trump comes on the scene, doesn&#8217;t do the foreign policy they want, and suddenly they start screaming at the top of their lungs about the Epstein files.
This is all part of an attempt to turn MAGA into something it isn&#8217;t.
Let&#8217;s be clear about what MAGA is: President Trump, period. End of story.
All attempts to reduce MAGA to some ideological form or fashion are bound to fail because President Trump is sui generis: He contains multitudes. Which means that many people who voted for President Trump disagree with him on a lot of issues.
I have disagreed with the president of the United States quite frequently on matters ranging from foreign policy to domestic policy. 
But only the president defines what MAGA is. He has always defined what MAGA is.
There&#8217;s a new movement afoot to try and cobble together pieces of Trump&#8217;s coalition and move forward into something different, but to claim the mantle of Trumpism without Trump is a bizarre and ridiculous move.

President Trump Participates In National Day Of Prayer Event At White House

MTG Revolts Against MAGA. Trump Has Had Enough.

Ben Shapiro

MAGA

Opinion

Republicans

A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump designated Antifa a domestic terrorist organization. Most Americans know Antifa, if they&#8217;re lucky, from news coverage of the chaos it causes driving riots in big cities across the country. 
Ryan Millsap isn&#8217;t one of those Americans. Out of no fault of his own, Ryan found himself neighbors with the terrorist group. 
What started out as an opportunity to make cool movies in a state-of-the-art facility in Georgia turned into a protracted, ad hoc battle with random radicals living in tree houses. 
It’s stories like Ryan’s that expose the very real damage groups like Antifa can do. We&#8217;re proud to have him tell it himself in The Daily Wire. — The Daily Wire
* * *
The past four years of my life have been a relentless storm of attacks, lies, and betrayal — much of it orchestrated by radical activists who would rather burn down progress than see it thrive.
I never expected to end up in the crosshairs of Antifa, and that&#8217;s an understatement.
As a movie studio owner and real estate developer, I built Blackhall Studios into a cornerstone of Georgia’s film industry, creating jobs and opportunities.
When I entered into a land swap deal with DeKalb County, however, I drew the wrath of Antifa. This was all happening next door to the development of a new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, that became known to the world as “Cop City.” When Antifa caught wind of the deal, chaos ensued.
This is my story. A story about a battle for a piece of land and for the truth in a world quick to crucify conservatives.
<h3>The Beginning: Building A Legacy</h3>
I wasn’t born into wealth. I made it the American way, with hard work and intelligent risk-taking. Growing up in California, I became a real estate developer and investor.
Following the financial crisis of 2008, I saw a new opportunity to acquire real estate across the Southeast and ended up purchasing over 8,000 apartments. In 2016, I seized on Georgia’s film industry boom, founding Blackhall Studios — an 850,000-square-foot powerhouse facility that helped produce hits like “Jungle Cruise,” “Jumanji,” “Venom,” and “Lovecraft Country.”
My team and I built a reputation of working cross-culturally with the community, hand-in-hand with Black leaders and Jewish colleagues. Through Advance DeKalb, I poured resources into the community, even offering to donate space to healthcare workers during the pandemic.
In 2018, I decided to expand Blackhall. Around the same time, the Atlanta Police Foundation planned a state-of-the-art public safety training facility to make Atlanta safer. The “Cop City” idea — next door to our planned expansion — was meant to train police and first responders to protect communities like DeKalb’s. To make it happen, I struck a land swap deal with DeKalb County: 55 acres of my studio’s land for 40 acres of Intrenchment Creek Park.
At the time, county officials and local leaders enthusiastically backed the deal. The county treated me as a partner, excited for the economic boost.
Then, in early 2021, Antifa showed up.
<div id="attachment_989641" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989641" class="size-large wp-image-989641" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-1024x576.jpeg" alt="Credit: Ryan Millsap" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Cop-protest-II-copy.jpeg 1658w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Ryan Millsap</div>
<h3>The Turn: Antifa’s War On Progress</h3>
Hiding behind the “Defend the Atlanta Forest” banner, these “squatters” occupied the property, calling it “Weelaunee People’s Park.” To me, they didn’t appear to be peaceful environmentalists, but anarchists, funded and fueled by Antifa’s network, bent on sabotaging both our development and Cop City.
Their treehouses and protests were just the beginning of the chaos they would unleash. The “squatters’” antics turned violent fast. Rocks and full beer cans were thrown at workers on the site.
Then came the relentless legal battles. In 2020, the South River Watershed Alliance (SRWA) <a href="https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ga-court-of-appeals/116643343.html">sued me and DeKalb County</a>, alleging the land swap was illegal. Of course, it was not illegal, but abusive litigation is a hallmark of modern leftist terrorists. I filed an affidavit defending the deal, but the county’s response was indirect and they began to backpedal. I believe Antifa’s pressure campaign, with their deep pockets and activist networks, caused officials to abandon me.
Still, I had to fight back. So, I hired contractors and off-duty DeKalb police officers to secure the property. In a heated confrontation in July of 2022, protesters hurled objects at my team. Antifa lit my truck and trailer on fire and turned it into a bonfire of effigy. Then, in October of 2022, activists successfully <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/anonymous-activist-claims-responsibility-for-blaze-at-dekalb-film-studio-may-this-be-a-warning-to-them">torched</a> Shadowbox Studios (formerly Blackhall).
<div id="attachment_989639" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989639" class="size-large wp-image-989639" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-768x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Ryan Millsap" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Truck-burn.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Credit: Ryan Millsap</div>
Meanwhile, I faced an onslaught of media attacks and online smears. A former attorney filed a public lawsuit that became fodder for hit pieces in local and national outlets. Social media campaigns — many from self-identified Antifa supporters — accused me of everything from greed to corruption.
I worked hard to protect my family from all the chaos, but my wife bore the brunt of the stress, living under the shadow of Antifa’s harassment and online threats.
<h3>Where I Stand Today: Fighting For Truth</h3>
More than four years later, the 40 acres I still own remain undeveloped, stalled by the prolonged protests, various lawsuits, and political shenanigans.
I sold Blackhall in 2021 to Commonwealth Group, now Shadowbox Studios, and shifted my focus to other endeavors.
Meanwhile, Cop City finally opened, a victory for law and order despite Antifa’s relentless opposition. President Trump himself highlighted the facility at a roundtable with independent journalists, calling out Antifa’s role in the violence against projects like mine. Their funding, likely from shadowy leftist groups, has fueled the chaos, from car burnings to media smear campaigns, all to stop progress.
<div id="attachment_989643" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989643" class="wp-image-989643 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-865x576.jpg" alt="The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, referred to as 'Cop City' by opponents, under construction in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Alexander Cox Taylor runs the family conglomerate, Cox Enterprises Inc., while supporting civic causes in his hometown of Atlanta, including a new $110 million facility to train police and other safety officials. His first cousin, James Cox Chambers Jr., is using his own piece of the fortune to try to shut that very project down. Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2151779643.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, referred to as &#8216;Cop City&#8217; by opponents, under construction on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Through it all, my family has been my rock. My wife, kids, and I have faced these attacks together, though the strain of Antifa’s threats and character assassination nonsense has tested us. I have lost many friendships throughout the city and the world because of this manufactured toxicity. But my faith keeps me grounded, and I’m fighting to protect my legacy for my family and community.
This story isn’t just mine — it’s happening in other pockets of America.
Look at the Dakota Access Pipeline, where <a href="https://northdakotamonitor.com/briefs/north-dakota-us-working-to-settle-in-dispute-over-dakota-access-pipeline-protest-costs/">protests</a> against a $3.8 billion oil project in 2016 led to blockades, sabotage, and over 700 arrests, delaying completion and costing developers millions, all fueled by environmental and indigenous activism that echoed Antifa’s tactics.
Consider Tim Pool, the conservative podcaster who bought a derelict lot in West Virginia in 2023 to <a href="https://x.com/Timcast/status/1900216701108564402">build a skatepark</a> for local youth. His dream of a safe space for skaters to hang out was derailed by over two years of vandalism, gang tags, and anonymous threats, driven by opposition to his right-wing politics. Pool was forced to shut it down in 2025, a loss for the community he aimed to serve.
That’s not activism. That’s sabotage.
<h3>A Call For Courage</h3>
These cases and many others show how Antifa and their allies use funded protests, media hit jobs, digital attacks, and endless lawsuits to grind progress to a halt, targeting conservatives with anything they can manufacture to destroy them.
In sharing my experience, I hope to help expose Antifa’s playbook — using chaos and lies to silence those who dare build or challenge their agenda. It’s a call to stand up to their intimidation and defend the America that values hard work and entrepreneurial life.
The past four years have been brutal. Publicly, I’ve been vilified, my name dragged through the mud by Antifa’s allies in the media. But I won’t let terrorists define me. I’m still here, building, fighting, and believing in a country that rewards grit, intelligence, and an indefatigable spirit. They can burn my cars and spread lies, but they won’t break me, this country, or the truth.
To say that I’m excited that President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-designates-antifa-a-major-terrorist-organization">designated Antifa</a> a terrorist group on October 7, 2025 after Charlie Kirk&#8217;s death is an understatement. I’ve known this truth for many years. These people hate America, hate Americanism, and want to see every hard-working, red-blooded American subjugated to their chaos. We must not let that happen.
* * *
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Ryan Millsap is an entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Atlanta-based Blackhall Studios, the powerhouse production facility behind films like &#8220;Venom,&#8221; &#8220;Jumanji,&#8221; and &#8220;Jungle Cruise.&#8221; A lifelong builder and unapologetic American capitalist, Millsap has spent his career revitalizing communities through real estate, film, and philanthropy. He is also the host of The Blackhall Podcast where he interviews leaders shaping business, culture, and faith. Millsap continues to champion free enterprise, individual liberty, and the unbreakable American spirit from his home in Georgia.
* * *
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.

Activists In NYC Demonstrate Against Atlanta’s Planned “Cop City” Police Training Center

Four Years Under Siege: My Battle Against Antifa And The Chaos That Tried To Break Me

Antifa

Atlanta

Film

Hollywood

Lawsuit

Leftists

Police

The Georgia Republican Senate primary is gaining traction on the fundraising front, bringing new attention to the race to take on incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff.
Ossoff is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic senators in the 2026 election cycle, with the <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cook Political Report</a> ranking his race as a “Toss-Up.” As of June 30, the Democrat has over $15 million cash on hand, according to the <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S8GA00180/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Election Commission</a>.
Georgia Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, as well as former football coach Derek Dooley, are currently in the field on the Republican side.
Collins raised $1.9 million in Q3 and currently has $2.4 million in cash on hand, according to a press release. He announced his candidacy on July 28 and had a war chest $2.9 million overall, with just over $1 million transferred from his congressional bid.
“These fundraising numbers make clear what we have said from the beginning: we will not be outworked, we will not be outhustled, and we will win this race and put the people of Georgia back in the driver&#8217;s seat in the United States Senate,” Collins said in a press release.
Dooley raised $1.85 million in Q3, and he entered the race eight weeks ago. The Republican has $1.7 million cash on hand.
“For the past 8 weeks, we’ve hit the ground running at full speed in order to build the operation needed to win this seat back for the people of Georgia,” Dooley said in a statement.
His campaign chair, Don Leebern III, said, “there’s no question that Derek has the clear momentum in this race.”
The high fundraising totals are a strong indicator that the general election will likely shape up to be a highly expensive race on both sides.
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However, some Democrats argue that the latest numbers are an indicator of a complicated Republican primary.
“Mike Collins and Derek Dooley’s neck-in-neck fundraising reports further underscore that Georgia Republicans are in a messy, chaotic U.S. Senate primary for the long haul,” Democratic Party of Georgia Senior Communications Advisor Devon Cruz told The Daily Wire in a statement.
Ossoff was first elected in 2021 following an extremely tight runoff election between him and former Republican Sen. David Perdue. President Joe Biden narrowly won the state in November, and Trump flipped the state back to red in 2024.
“I am the number one target in the country for the Republican Party,” he said in an August <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jonossoff/videos/magas-1-target/2243036079484320/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advertisement</a>, adding that “MAGA is already spending millions of dollars to defeat me” as he’s the only Democratic senator running in 2026 in a state Trump won.
The Daily Wire reached out to Carter’s campaign for comment. The primary election is scheduled for May 2026, and a runoff would be triggered in June 2026 if no candidate receives a minimum of 50% of the vote.

Jon Ossoff

Inside The Expensive Race To Unseat A Vulnerable Democratic Senator

Senate

Senate Democrats

A coronavirus-era housing bailout program spent $10 billion paying Americans&#8217; mortgages and homeowner association dues. But explicit racial preferences steered nearly half of the funds to black Americans, who make up just 12% of the population, a Daily Wire analysis found.
The <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/homeowner-assistance-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Homeowner Assistance Fund</a> is one of the largest race-based government wealth transfers in history. It has largely escaped scrutiny since it launched amid a global pandemic and a stream of other federal bailouts. But now, white residents in several states have filed lawsuits alleging that they were illegally discriminated against.
The lawsuits target Republican-led states that the plaintiffs say went along with the program in Joe Biden&#8217;s American Rescue Plan, even though it was up to each state to implement its own rules, and the Biden administration offered racial criteria only as non-binding suggestions.
In Georgia, for example, 82% of the funds — made up of payments for up to $50,000 — went to blacks. Only 13% went to whites, and 4% went to Hispanics. The lawsuit argues that this can&#8217;t be due to income disparities alone, given the high rate of poverty among white people in the state.
&#8220;This dramatic difference cannot be explained by income disparities or other race-independent reasons,&#8221; a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.gasd.107818/gov.uscourts.gasd.107818.1.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> filed in January says. &#8220;For example, comparing census and poverty rate data, about 50.5% of Georgia citizens below the poverty line are black and 45.6% are white.&#8221;
The lawsuit is against the state&#8217;s Department of Community Affairs, whose leaders are appointed by Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican who has led the state since 2019. It alleges that the $354 million plan submitted by Georgia, and approved in January 2022, to use the funds included plans for a public awareness campaign that would send text messages to residents in &#8220;30 out of Georgia’s 152 counties&#8221; that were selected based on, among other things, “minority population.”
The state also &#8220;approved applications from applicants of its preferred racial and ethnic groups at a higher rate than those from white applicants. Out of all non-white applicants, about 20.04% of applicants were approved while out of all white applicants, about 12.74% of applicants were approved,&#8221; the suit says.
The federal program <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/HAF-Guidance.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">required</a> that each state allocate at least 60% of the funds to homeowners with incomes below the median. People with higher-than-average incomes could get the remaining money, but that portion &#8220;must be prioritized for assistance to socially disadvantaged individuals, with funds remaining after such prioritization being made available for other eligible homeowners.&#8221;
In other words, poor people of all races could always qualify for the grant, but certain other groups could also get it because they&#8217;re &#8220;disadvantaged,&#8221; even though they actually had more money than most.
The lawsuit stated that Congress had not defined &#8220;socially disadvantaged individuals.&#8221; But in April 2021, the Biden administration &#8220;provided a recommended definition&#8221; that said &#8220;Socially disadvantaged individuals are those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias &#8230; There is a rebuttable presumption that the following individuals are socially disadvantaged: Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.&#8221;
Georgia, Missouri, and Oklahoma are being sued after the deep-red states chose to adopt that definition, even though it was optional, unlike other states. Deep-blue California, for example, administered the housing-cost bailout by <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/HAFP-0108-California-Salesforce-Submission.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defining</a> socially disadvantaged as residents who live in Census tracts where the <a href="https://knowledge.luskin.ucla.edu/ca-covid-19-owner-vulnerability/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ratio</a> of housing costs to available income has historically made residents most vulnerable to foreclosure. <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/HAFP-0096-Texas-SalesforceSubmission.pdf">Texas</a> defined it as people who &#8220;reside in a Persistent Poverty County.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-968057 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race.png" alt="" width="1113" height="1636" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race.png 1113w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race-204x300.png 204w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race-392x576.png 392w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race-768x1129.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/haf-race-1045x1536.png 1045w" sizes=" (max-width: 1113px) 100vw, 1113px" /></div>
Kemp spokesman Carter Chapman declined to discuss why Georgia adopted the race-based definition, instead saying he has a record of &#8220;fighting DEI in our state,&#8221; including signing bills restricting childhood gender transitions. The state&#8217;s Department of Community Affairs did not return a request for comment.
Georgia Attorney General Christopher M. Carr is seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed, filing a motion in June that stated the state&#8217;s use of race was &#8220;entirely consistent with the Treasury’s definitions.&#8221;
&#8220;The Treasury’s and DCA’s definition of socially disadvantaged individuals included, but was not limited to, people who had been subject to racial prejudice, and it also included those who have been subject to cultural bias, which is not a racial classification,&#8221; Carr says.
&#8220;The program allowed white applicants to be considered socially disadvantaged merely by submitting an affidavit stating that they &#8216;identify as a Socially Disadvantaged Individual,'&#8221; he wrote.
Carr is a Republican who has held his position since 2016 and has criticized DEI policies elsewhere, including at Costco and the American Bar Association. Carr spokeswoman Kara Murray told The Daily Wire that &#8220;Attorney General Carr had no involvement in the implementation of this program in Georgia. Once the lawsuit was filed, our office’s role was to defend the State in court, and that’s what we have done.&#8221;
In Missouri, the program was implemented by the Missouri Housing Development Commission, a <a href="https://mhdc.com/about-us/commissioners/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10-person board</a> that includes the state&#8217;s governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, and attorney general — all of whom are Republicans.
Yet when the federal government asked Missouri how it would define &#8220;socially disadvantaged individual,&#8221; it <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/HAFP-0080-Missouri-SalesforceSubmission.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it would adopt &#8220;Treasury’s definition of socially disadvantaged individuals,&#8221; and use software that would flag people as disadvantaged in part based on which box they checked when asked about race and ethnicity.
A lawsuit said that &#8220;In marketing and advertising its program to inform Missouri citizens about the availability of funds and how to apply, MHDC targeted outreach to racial minorities,&#8221; including partnering with the Black Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Forty-four percent of the loan money went to black residents, who make up less than 12% of the population.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe was a member of the housing commission during the program&#8217;s inception, serving in his then-role as lieutenant governor. Kehoe spokeswoman Gabby Picard said &#8220;As this is pending litigation, we are not able to comment on the specifics of this case,&#8221; but that &#8220;Kehoe has been a strong advocate for removing DEI within state government,&#8221; signing an executive order &#8220;directing all Missouri state agencies to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and ensure compliance with the constitutional principle of equal protection under the law.&#8221;
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, was not a member of the housing commission when the state decided how to implement the federal program because he took office in 2023. But Bailey responded to the lawsuit in court papers in May, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.moed.213696/gov.uscourts.moed.213696.64.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a> that &#8220;Defendants were merely administering a federal program in accordance with federal mandates, rules, guidelines, regulations, and/or applicable laws &#8230; The Defendants applied neutral criteria when administering the program. Defendants acted in good faith reliance on Treasury and federal guidance, and had no reason to believe the program would have a discriminatory impact.&#8221;
Bailey joined the Trump administration last month as co-deputy director of the FBI. A spokeswoman for his old office, Abigail Bergmann, told The Daily Wire that &#8220;the Biden Administration applied pressure to states to adopt these policies, and Missouri’s program was established before Attorney General Bailey was elected to office. As Attorney General, it is his statutory duty to represent MHDC in court. But thanks to his leadership, MHDC today has been stripped of the Biden-era racist policies that Missourians should never have been subjected to in the first place.”
In Oklahoma, five white residents who did not receive housing assistance, including a massage therapist who lost her job due to the pandemic and her disabled-veteran husband, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.okwd.129299/gov.uscourts.okwd.129299.1.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency. &#8220;On the front page of its Oklahoma Homeowner Assistance Fund program website, OHFA stated that a homeowner is a socially disadvantaged individual if the homeowner is a “[m]ember of a group that has been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias within American Society: African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, LGBTQ+,” the suit said.
That <a href="https://perma.cc/Y6VR-EQ4C" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> says residents of &#8220;minority-majority census tracts&#8221; are also among the &#8220;socially disadvantaged&#8221; who &#8220;are eligible to receive a one-time grant award up to a maximum of $35,000.&#8221; It states that applications were accepted until March 2024. The state allocated $87 million, and 26% of it went to black residents, despite their making up only 7% of the state&#8217;s population.
The lawsuit said &#8220;Because of this race-based classification, a white or Asian homeowner with household size of 3 in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, could not apply for relief in 2023 if the homeowner’s income was greater than $96,200 (100% AMI) unless he or she could otherwise qualify as socially disadvantaged, but a black or Latino homeowner with the same household size could apply with an income of up to $116,110 (150% AMI). This is just one of many ways in which OHFA’s race-based program discriminated against white and Asian homeowners.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_542577" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-542577" class="size-large wp-image-542577" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048-864x576.jpg" alt="DALLAS, TEXAS, UNITED STATES - 2022/08/05: Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt speaks during CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) Texas 2022 conference at Hilton Anatole in Dallas." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/GettyImages-1242358048.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt speaks during CPAC (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)</div>
It said OHFA worked with the African Methodist Episcopal Church to market the program.
&#8220;OHFA specifically informed socially disadvantaged individuals about the program and assisted those individuals through the application process but did not do the same for white or Asian homeowners. This made it more likely that individuals deemed socially disadvantaged based on race would receive funding at the expense of white and Asian homeowners who were eligible to receive funding but to whom OHFA did not provide the same information or assistance,&#8221; the suit said.
&#8220;OHFA could have administered its program in a race-neutral way. Instead, it discriminated against white and Asian homeowners in favor of homeowners from preferred racial groups. But COVID-19 did not discriminate. Oklahoma homeowners of all races needed assistance. OHFA’s racial discrimination is plainly unlawful,&#8221; it said.
All of Oklahoma&#8217;s top officials are Republican, and a board appointed by the governor runs the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency. The housing board&#8217;s chair, Michael Buehl, was appointed in 2019 to a five-year term by Governor Kevin Stitt. Stitt then re-appointed him in 2024, after Buehl oversaw the race-based program. Stitt did not return a request for comment.
The housing agency is currently vigorously defending the program, hiring private lawyers who <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.okwd.129299/gov.uscourts.okwd.129299.41.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in March. The motion said that according to the Attorney General, OHFA is classified as a &#8220;state beneficiary public trust&#8221; that is &#8220;separate and distinct from&#8221; the state.
A spokesman for Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who has publicly opposed DEI and stated in 2023 that one of his priorities was investigating the misuse of COVID funds, did not respond to questions.

Republican Candidate For Governor Brian Kemp Attends Election Night Event In Athens, Georgia

How A Biden Housing Bailout Steered Billions Based On Race — With Red State Help

Coronavirus

Missouri

Oklahoma

Red States

Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis cannot continue her criminal prosecution of President Donald Trump and his allies after a ruling from the Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday.
In a 4-3 decision, the state’s high court declined a request from Willis to review the Georgia Court of Appeals’ ruling that disqualified the Democratic district attorney from prosecuting the 2020 election interference case over the conflict of interest she created when she hired her then-boyfriend, Nathan Wade, as a special prosecutor. The ruling means that the 2020 case against Trump and his allies is dead, unless another prosecutor brings charges, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5505353-willis-disqualification-trump-georgia-case/">reported</a>.
“The Georgia Supreme Court has correctly denied review of the Georgia Court of Appeals decision disqualifying DA Fani Willis and her office as prosecutors in the Fulton County RICO case,” said Steve Sadow, the lead attorney for Trump in Georgia. “Willis’ misconduct during the investigation and prosecution of President Trump was egregious, and she deserved nothing less than disqualification. This proper decision should bring an end to the wrongful political, lawfare persecutions of the President.”
A nonpartisan state agency will now be tasked with finding another prosecutor to determine if the case against Trump can proceed, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/2025/09/fani-willis-loses-last-chance-to-stay-at-the-helm-trump-georgia-election-interference-case/">reported</a>. Willis <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fani-willis-appeal-georgia-supreme-court-trump-7be50feee272612484490b53592e7e08">said</a> that she hopes another prosecutor “will have the courage to do what the evidence and the law demand.” If another prosecutor is assigned the case, he could continue pursuing the exact charges that Willis did, choose to pursue some of the charges, or dismiss the case, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fani-willis-appeal-georgia-supreme-court-trump-7be50feee272612484490b53592e7e08">Associated Press</a>.
In December, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that Willis’ actions presented a “rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings.” Wade had little experience prosecuting cases when Willis hired him to lead the Fulton County prosecution of Trump. Willis was accused of paying Wade hundreds of thousands of dollars and vacationing with him multiple times, with Wade paying for some of the trips. Both Willis and Wade testified that Willis reimbursed him for her share of the trip costs.
Willis became a star in the Democratic Party when her office brought 13 charges against Trump after he challenged Georgia’s election results in 2020. In 2023, Trump and 18 others were indicted under Georgia’s anti-racketeering law and accused of engaging in a scheme to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results that helped push Joe Biden into the White House.
Trump said the charges were another political “witch hunt.” The case brought against Trump by Willis’ office resulted in Trump being forced to pose for a mug shot, which quickly went viral. Trump displayed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hangs-mugshot-outside-oval-office-so-bad-a-that-its-surreal">framed</a> picture of the mugshot just outside the Oval Office shortly after he was sworn in for his second term.

Georgia Supreme Court Rejects Last-Ditch Effort From Fani Willis To Prosecute Trump

fulton county

SEOUL (Reuters) &#8211; South Korea will send a chartered plane to Atlanta as early as Wednesday to bring back workers detained in a huge immigration raid last week on a car battery plant in the U.S. state of Georgia, a Korean Air spokesperson said on Tuesday.
President Lee Jae Myung said Seoul would negotiate with Washington to achieve a reasonable resolution to the situation based on the spirit of their alliance, adding at a cabinet meeting that he felt a &#8220;heavy responsibility&#8221; for the detained nationals.
A Korean Air Boeing 747-8i plane with 368 seats will fly from South Korea&#8217;s Incheon to Atlanta, according to the spokesperson.
During the U.S. immigration raid about 300 South Koreans were arrested along with 175 others at the site of the $4.3 billion Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution project to build batteries for electric cars.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is in Washington to negotiate on points such as seeking assurances that the Koreans returned home will be allowed to re-enter the United States.
The raid &#8211; the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the Department of Homeland Security&#8217;s investigative operations &#8211; sent shockwaves through South Korea, a U.S. ally that has been trying to finalise a trade deal agreed with Washington in July.
A Realmeter opinion poll published on Tuesday showed that nearly 60% of South Koreans felt disappointed by what they viewed as excessive action by U.S. authorities in the raid, while about 30% regarded the action as unavoidable.
Two Japanese nationals and up to nine Chinese citizens were among the detainees, the Nikkei business daily reported.
James Rim, who heads the Korean-American Association of Southeast Georgia and runs guesthouses used by Korean workers near the Hyundai plant, said two of his residents had been detained after being found to be on a visa-waiver programme that prohibits employment in the country.
On Thursday evening after the raid they did not come back for dinner, Rim said, noting two other colleagues had made it back to the guesthouse after screening during the raid.
&#8220;I heard two of them saw an officer that didn&#8217;t let them go, while the other two managed to leave after talking to another officer,&#8221; said Rim.
Details on how U.S. immigration rules may have been breached have not been released by the authorities or companies involved, but South Korean lawmakers say some may have overstepped the boundaries of a 90-day visa-waiver programme or a B-1 temporary business visa.
Foreign Minister Cho said he would discuss with Washington creating a special work permit for Korean professionals.
Korean businesses have complained about what they consider strict U.S. limits on visas for skilled foreign workers, making it difficult for them to oversee the construction of factories or to train the local workforce.
According to workers, officials and lawyers, many South Korean workers were sent to the U.S. on questionable documents despite their misgivings and warnings about stricter U.S. immigration enforcement.
After the raid, Rim said some of the 20 subcontractors working at the plant and also staying at his guesthouse had returned to South Korea early.
&#8220;Not everyone, but some of the workers came here on a visa waiver,&#8221; Rim said, adding that this had long been a standard practice.
&#8220;It should have been done earlier but I think now is a good chance to give some kind of a special work permit to Koreans. Otherwise, it would be difficult to build factories only with a local workforce,&#8221; he said.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park and Jack Kim; Editing by Ed Davies and Hugh Lawson)

South Korea to send chartered plane to Atlanta to bring back workers detained in US

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Hyundai

Immigration

South Korea

Hundreds of South Korean nationals detained during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at a Hyundai site in Georgia last week will soon be repatriated as President Donald Trump called for foreign companies to “respect” America’s laws. 
The roughly 300 workers were detained during a massive immigration enforcement operation on September 4 at a Hyundai plant in Bryan County, leading to the apprehension of around 475 people who the Trump administration <a href="https://x.com/ATFAtlanta/status/1963734241105072512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1963734241105072512%7Ctwgr%5E6ce0eebffc1436a997e529d21c8e5ca5671ad8b4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsbtv.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fus-immigration-officers-raid-georgia-site-where-hyundai-makes-electric-vehicles%2FMREDNL2DRNGNDPAG3S5JDN5QHM%2F">said</a> were illegally working in the country. 
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung&#8217;s chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik, said on Sunday that the South Koreans detained during the operation would be returning home soon. 
“As a result of the swift and united response … negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been concluded,” he said, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/07/300-south-koreans-detained-at-hyundai-plant-in-us-to-be-released-says-seoul">according</a> to the Guardian. “Only administrative procedures remain. Once these are completed, a chartered flight will depart to bring our citizens home.”
Responding to the raid on Sunday night, Trump urged all foreign companies working inside the United States to follow immigration laws and hire American workers. 
“Following the Immigration Enforcement Operation on the Hyundai Battery Plant in Georgia, I am hereby calling on all Foreign Companies investing in the United States to please respect our Nation’s Immigration Laws,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115165715028507857">wrote</a> on Truth Social on Sunday. “Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so. What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers. Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent Steven Schrank <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/us-immigration-officers-raid-georgia-site-where-hyundai-makes-electric-vehicles/MREDNL2DRNGNDPAG3S5JDN5QHM/">said</a> last week that the raid was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the HSI, which serves as the principal investigative arm of ICE.
U.S. Attorney Margaret Heap said that the goal of the operation was to “reduce illegal employment and prevent employers from gaining an unfair advantage by hiring unauthorized workers” and protect unauthorized workers from exploitation.
Hyundai stated that none of the detained individuals worked directly for the company. 
“Hyundai is committed to full compliance with all laws and regulations in every market where we operate,” the company said in a statement. “This includes employment verification requirements and immigration laws. We expect the same commitment from all our partners, suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors.&#8221;

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300 Hyundai Plant Workers To Be Sent Back To South Korea As Trump Demands ‘Respect’

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Federal agents raided a massive Hyundai manufacturing site in southeast Georgia on Thursday, where they apprehended roughly 450 illegal immigrants.
The Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives posted on X, “Today, @ATFAtlanta joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. #ATF.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFAtlanta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATFAtlanta</a> joined HSI, FBI, DEA, ICE, GSP and other agencies in a major immigration enforcement operation at the Hyundai mega site battery plant in Bryan County, GA, leading to the apprehension of ~450 unlawful aliens, emphasizing our commitment to community safety. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATF</a> <a href="https://t.co/su6raLrLu6">pic.twitter.com/su6raLrLu6</a>
&mdash; ATF Atlanta (@ATFAtlanta) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFAtlanta/status/1963734241105072512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Hyundai Motor Group began manufacturing EVs a year ago at the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,200 people,” <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hyundai-georigia-ice-raid-450-detained-electric-vehicles-batteries/">CBS News</a> noted. The company has also partnered with LG Energy Solution to construct an electric battery factory on the site, which is expected to open in 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security said a search warrant was utilized “as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”
Hyundai is a South Korean company with a significant global presence.
“The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during U.S. law enforcement operations,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry responded to the raid, adding:
<blockquote>
We are actively responding to this incident by dispatching the Consul General of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the Consulate General in Atlanta to the site and instructing the formation of an on-site response team centered around the local embassy. In Seoul, we also conveyed our concerns and regrets today through the U.S. Embassy in Korea and urged them to exercise extreme caution to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of Korean citizens are not infringed upon.
</blockquote>
HL-GA Battery Company, a joint venture between Hyundai and LG Energy Solution, announced that it was temporarily halting construction.
The plant’s spokesperson, Bianca Johnson, stated, “This did not impact people getting to work. Production and normal office hours had already begun for the day” when authorities shut down access.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 66,463 illegal immigrants and removed 65,682; nearly 75% of those have had criminal records, Border Patrol News <a href="https://www.borderpatrol.news/2025-05-01-ice-removals-hit-record-pace-trumps-100-days.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a>. In the same period, ICE has <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/ice-data-immigrants-self-deportation-trump-administration-2124106?utm_source=chatgpt.com">deported</a> 145,419 illegal immigrants from its detention centers, with the highest total deported in June: 27,970.

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Feds Detain 450 Illegal Aliens At Hyundai Raid

illegal immigrants

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